I can't remember who said Shonda Rhimes writes adults as if they were still in high school, but on last night's "Private Practice," the adults were probably down to junior high ...

I won't say the show was completely ineffective. It did have some tear-jerking power near the end, with the two moms and their babies, and the finally emotional dad. But look how high it stacked the deck to do it: Not only with moms and babies, but with one of those babies facing a short, sick life.

Beyond that, though, I was about ready to quit a few minutes in with all the belly-aching about the stripper. In particular, Addison's defending-her-friend rant was not only unnecessary, it was unprofessional; she was not really out of earshot of the stripper, and that stripper was a patient, after all. Then there was the whole ridiculous business with the bicycle. And the Addison/Pete thing has gone on way too long. Once again, Addison in her "Grey's" days would either have told him to shove off in a way that got the message across, or would have bedded him to meet her own needs and then moved on.

Even some "Grey's" loyalists are having a tough time with this show. I know one who's sticking around only because Taye Diggs might take his shirt off again.